In recent years, lead from small planes make up more than half of the lead emissions in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In recent years, lead from small planes make up more than half of the lead emissions in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Updated: 6:10 PM CST Nov 25, 2014

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WEBVTT CHILDREN... THAT IS ESSENTIALLYUNDETECTABLE... LEAD. IT WASBANNED FROM PAINT IN THE 70's,FROM PLUMBING IN THE 80s... TOAUTOMOBILE FUEL IN THE 90's.HOWEVER THE ONE AREA WHERE LEADSTILL FLIES HIGH -- AVIATIONFUEL -- SPECIFICALLY THE FUELUSED IN MOST SMALLPLANES. "We're talking abouttons and tons of gas beingcontributed to the environmentas a result of using aviationgasoline."THE LACK OF REGULATION WHEN ITCOMES TO LEADED AVIATIONGASOLINE -- OR AVGAS -- HASCAUGHT THE EYEOF TULANE PROFESSOR DOCTORHOWARD MIELKE ... WHOWAS ALSO INVOLVED IN GETTING RIDOF LEAD INAUTOMOBILE GASOLINE DECADES AGO.IN RECENT YEARS --IT'S LEAD FROM THESE PLANES --THAT MAKE UP MORE THAN HALFOF THE LEAD EMISSIONS IN THEU-S."It's an easily overlookedproblem. That's because it'sinvisible. When you use leadedgasoline, the exhaustturns out to be totallyinvisible."BUT THIS INVISIBLE DANGER --COULD HAVE LASTING EFFECTSON SMALL CHILDREN. EXPOSURE TOLEAD CAN CAUSEBRAIN DAMAGE, DEVELOPMENTALDELAYS, DIABETES, ANDLEARNING DISABILITIES -- WHICHIS WHY IN 2012 -- THECENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL SAIDTHERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OFLEAD EXPOSURE. THERE ARE 20THOUSAND AIRPORTS ACROSSTHE COUNTRY THAT USE LEADEDAVGAS... WITH MILLIONS OFPEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND THEM --INCLUDING 3 MILLION KIDS.RESEARCHERS AT DUKE UNIVERSITYFOUND THAT THOSE CHILDRENLIVING WITHIN 500 METERS OF THEAIRPORTS -- HAVE HIGHER LEVELSOF LEAD IN THE BLOOD, THANCHILDREN WHO LIVE FARTHERAWAY. "Children, in their handto mouth activities are pickingthe lead up very easily.Children are extremely sensitiveto the absorbtion of lead."IN 2008 THE EPA BEGAN EXAMININGLEAD EMISSIONS FROM 3 THOUSANDU-S AIRPORTS WHERE LEADED AVGASIS USED. 4 AIRPORTS IN SOUTHEASTLOUISIANA WERE IN THE TOP 300...With LAKEFRONTAIRPORT leading the louisianaairports in lead emissionsFOLLOWED BY BATON ROUGEMETROPOLITAN. THE WDSU EYE TEAM-- WENT TO GREEN SPACES AROUNDAREA AIRPORTS TOSAMPLE SOIL LEVELS FOR LEAD. WEGATHERED MORE THAN 50SAMPLES FROM HAMMOND AIRPORT --HOUMA TERREBONNEAIRPORT -- SLIDELL -- LAKEFRONTAND EVEN ARMSTRONGINTERNATIONAL.WE SENT THE SOIL SAMPLES TO THELSU SOIL AND TESTING LAB --AND THE CALEGERIE LAB IN BATONROUGE -- TO CHECK WHATCHEMICAL COMPOUNDS WERE IN THEDIRT -- AND IF THERE WERE ANYALARMING LEVELS OF LEAD. "You'renot going to eat the soil, butyou have to worryabout children. That's why weget a lot of samples becausepeople are like 'animals andchildren' they'reworried about them eating someof the soil." AND OUT OF THEFIVE AIRPORTS... HAMMOND AIRPORTHAD THEHIGHEST LEAD LEVEL AT 107-POINT-07 MILLIGRAMS PERKILLIGRAMS. "Randi:This cameout to be 107, Would youconsider thishigh? Howard: That's very high..I wouldn't want a child playingin that at the max maybe 40 isok for a child."THE SOIL SAMPLES CAME FROM GREENSPACES SURROUNDINGSEVERAL SUBDIVISIONS, AND HOMES."Randi:But again, you would wanta child playing in that?.Howard:No Not at all."when we conducted our samples...We dug about six inches into theground, and got an overallcomposition of the soil. However-mielke says it's thesurface of the soil that canpose the most danger tochildren, becausethat's where the lead from theseplanes is falling. THREEENVIRONMENTAL WATCHDOG GROUPSARE PETITIONING THEE-P-A TO TAKE ACTION -- AND WORKTO LIMIT LEADED AVIATIONGASOLINE. FRIENDS OF THE EARTHIS ONE OF THOSE GROUPS --WHO'S BEEN FIGHTING FOR MORETHAN A DECADE TO HAVELEADED EMISSIONS FROM AIRCRAFTSREGULATED. "They need to knowlead is a problem. And that theEPA needs to do something aboutit right now to protect publichealth." "We've asked the EPA tomake an endangerment finding,that these lead emissions are adanger topublic health and they need tobe phased out. The EPA has sofar, not taken that step."MARCIE KEEVER WITH F-O-E SAYSIT'S POSSIBLE FOR 75 PERCENT OFSMALL ENGINE PLANES TO GO LEADFREE RIGHT NOW... IT JUSTNEEDS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE."Folks need to engage with theirlocal airports to see ifunleaded gas can be madeavailable and it would make ahuge difference on the emissionscoming right nowto people and their families."CURRENTLY THERE ARE FOURDIFFERENT COMPANIESWORKING ON CREATING UNLEADED GASFOR SMALLPLANES.... AND MORE PLANES AREBEING BUILT TO UTILIZE THATKIND OF FUEL. "The aircraftmanufacturers are buildingengines foressentially molgas, high octanemol gas which is unleaded, butthe pilots insist on usingleaded gasoline."MIELKE SAYS IT'S AN OLD SCHOOLWAY OF THINKING -- WHEN IT COMESTO PILOTS FEELING SAFE IN THEAIR. HOWEVER, DURINGHIS TIME PETITIONING FORUNLEADED GAS IN AUTOMOBILE'S, ITWAS FOUND THAT UNLEADED GAS WASBETTER ON THE ENGINE."When they were using leaded gasthey had to put extra substancesin the gas to get the lead tomovethrough the engine." AND THATCAUSED PROBLEMS WITH TAILPIPESAND EXHAUST PIPESNEEDING TO BE REPLACED MORERAPIDLY. IN ADDITION TOPROTECTING VEHICLES... THE LACKOF LEAD IN THE GAS ALSOPROVED TO PROTECT CHILDREN."When we took it out it wasalmost a 90 percent drop in theblood lead level of kids in theUS it was phenominal."THE EPA IS CURRENTLY MONITORINGAIRPORTS AND GENERAL AIRCRAFTSBEFORE FINALLY MAKING ADECISION. MIELKE IS CONFIDENTTHAT THE EPA WILL FOLLOW THESAME ROAD IN REGULATING AVIATIONGAS... AS IT DID WITHTHE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY... ANDIN DOING SO ENDING THELEGACY OF LEAD US IN THE UNITEDSTATES.THE LEADED GASOLINE IS NOT USEDIN JET FUEL... IN WHICHMAJOR AIRLINES USE. THERE AREAPPROXIMATELY 167 THOUSANDAIRCRAFTS IN THE U-S -- THATCURRENTLY USE LEADED AVIATIONGAS FOR OPERATIONS.

Source of lead contamination found flying under the radar

In recent years, lead from small planes make up more than half of the lead emissions in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.